Rama, Tomas clash on Cebu’s cityhood

CEBU, Philippines - He may not be the most powerful man in Cebu City anymore but this did not stop former mayor Michael Rama from taking part in the Charter Day activities yesterday.

Escorted by a crowd of supporters and two councilor-allies, Rama offered flowers to the brass monument of his grandfather Don Vicente Rama at the Plaza Sugbo grounds yesterday just about an hour after the Charter Day anniversary program graced by Mayor Tomas Osmeña ended in the same venue.

Rama said he decided to honor Don Vicente, considered the Father of Cebu City Charter, as he did not expect the mayor to do so.

Rama was right.

There was no mention of Don Vicente’s name anywhere in Osmeña’s speech yesterday.

“We are giving special honor to the late Atty. Gervasio Lavilles who I remember, ever since I was a small boy, it turns out that he was the man that (did) all the work in the formation of the city charter. As usual, naa’y laing mga tawo nga mangangkon. But let us not take away credit where credit is due,” Osmeña said.

A City Hall employee, however, offered two sets of arranged white flowers to Don Vicente’s monument yesterday morning.

As a councilor, Lavilles authored Resolution No. 185 calling on the Senate and the House of Representatives to enact a law converting the municipality of Cebu into a city. It was passed on August 31, 1931.

Osmeña said Lavilles should be given credit as the brainchild of Cebu’s cityhood and for making the “brilliant” move of merging then municipalities of Cebu, Pardo, San Nicolas, Mabolo and Talamban into one Cebu City.

But Rama, who heard a Mass with his family at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral before the floral offering, said he did not expect Osmeña to recognize Don Vicente’s contributions.

“And he (Osmeña) has done injustice to this man by changing history. Maybe he should read the book of my grandfather because it was written with his own hand how the cityhood was fought for,” Rama told reporters.

“I don’t expect support, appreciation, praises. It cannot be expected from him (Osmeña). It will always be hate.”

“It’s his (Don Vicente's) bravery that made the city. So courage has to be a part (of it). If you read his book, it was not an easy cityhood, it was a rough cityhood fought against by political giants right here whose families are still very much alive today, the descendants,” Rama said.

Two Team Rama-allied councilors – Pastor Jun Alcover and Phillip Zafra – were with Rama during the flower offering.

Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella said he was in Manila to attend to the needs of his son while Councilors Jose Daluz III and Joel Garganera did not join the Charter Day celebration for personal reasons.

Meanwhile, Councilors Raymond Alvin Garcia, Jocelyn Pesquera, Jerry Guardo and Eduardo Rama had prior commitments. (FREEMAN)